PROVIDER
PARAPERTUSSIS
Consult the health department before posting/distributing Parent/Guardian fact sheet.
Parapertussis is similar to pertussis but tends to be a milder disease than pertussis.
CAUSE
Bordetella parapertussis bacteria.
SYMPTOMS
Parapertussis begins with a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and possibly a lowgrade fever. The cough may occur in sudden, uncontrollable bursts, sometimes
ending with high-pitched whooping sounds and/or vomiting.
SPREAD
When a person with parapertussis coughs tiny droplets with parapertussis bacteria
into the air and another person breathes them in.
INCUBATION
It takes from 6 to 21 days, usually 7 to 10 days from the time a person is exposed
until symptoms start.
CONTAGIOUS
PERIOD
Unknown, but probably most infectious at the time of early cold-like symptoms.
EXCLUSION
Childcare and School: None, if the child is well enough to participate in routine
activities.
DIAGNOSIS
To confirm a diagnosis of parapertussis, laboratory tests are performed on material
collected by placing a flexible swab through the nostril to the back of the nose and
throat.
TREATMENT
Persons with parapertussis can be treated with antibiotics, but antibiotics may do
little to lessen the symptoms. Treatment is most effective if started soon after cough
begins.
PREVENTION/CONTROL
•
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, or
cough/sneeze into your sleeve. Dispose of used tissues.
•
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm running water after contact with
secretions from the nose or mouth. Thorough handwashing is the best way to
prevent spread of communicable diseases.
•
Preventive treatment is not generally recommended for contacts of people with
parapertussis. Preventive treatment may be considered for close contacts who
are at a higher risk for more severe disease, including infants and
immunocompromised persons.
•
Clean and sanitize mouthed toys, objects, and surfaces at least daily and when
soiled. (See pgs 34-36.)
For more information, call your school nurse.
Prepared by Hennepin County Human Services and Public Health Department (HSPHD)
June 2008
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